10 days down, 170 to go!

Not that I'm counting or anything!

I was really worried about making the change to 5th grade. It was pretty bad at the beginning of the summer (school dreams already?!). Coming back in August didn't help any. It is so overwhelming to come back anyway - let alone learn a new curriculum and get to know a new team (well, two-thirds of a new team anyway), and even being with kids of a new age and not knowing how they act and react to things and what they can handle - ahhhh!

But the first day of school was the best first day I have ever had! Granted, that hasn't been too many - but it really was the best day of the 4 previous first days. And the first week - definitely the best first week ever! And I am keeping up on my curriculum - but I am excited for the day when I am ahead a day or two or three. That'll be great! I also have 6 kids in class this year that I had as 3rd graders two years ago. I'm pretty sure that most of them were excited about that (hopefully no one cried!) - and I'm excited about them. I have a great class - 29 little darlings!

This past Wednesday - 8 days into school - we went on our first field trip! We hiked up the trail to go through the Timpanogos Caves! Wow - try herding 56 10-year-olds up a mountain and back in one piece! (well, 56 pieces) But we made it - 56 kids have nothing on 4 moms and 2 teachers, one of whom is Mr. Grimley! (I guess I did contribute... I made my presence known in not allowing kids to run down the mountain like they wanted to!)

And now the first week is over, and I have a lovely 3 day weekend to look forward to! Can't wait for the last 3 day weekend of the year - let's hear it for Memorial Day!

Back to School goals

It's a new school year. I'm beginning a new grade. What are my goals for the year?

Change files in file drawers to notebooks on a shelf
Create 'flipcharts' for math lessons, make notes for improvements for next year
Give students a challenge
Leave by 4:00 every day! (oh wait - I forgot that goals should be realistic!)

Summer Bests

Best food: dinner at the Pageant, Mark's pizza, Chill & Grill, hot dogs at the National Mall
Best songs: 7 Things, Sneakernight, Apologize, Life is a Highway
Best movie: Kung Foo Panda (midnight showing!)
Best place I visited: (where didn't I visit that wasn't the best?) Palmyra, Kirtland, Indpendence, Washington DC, Hershey, Gettysburg
Best mileage in the car: 36.5 mpg, Little America WY to Cheyenne WY
Best Walmart visited: Canandaigua, NY
Best hotel: Holiday Inn, Washington DC, a block from the Air & Space Museum
Best parade: Midvale Days
Best fireworks: Midvale Days, Niagara Falls
Best laugh: in the car about a song with lyrics that might be "Who's got what it takes to make meatloaf", at the Pageant where James swears he was surrounded by polar bears while visiting Alaska

Memories...

Here are the directions:
1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty cool (and funny) to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

Midvale Days

I love the first full week of August - because it's time for Midvale Days! What a great tradition we've got going...

Monday was our block party. We had a good dinner and enjoyed talking with neighbors. We mostly talked about Stephenie Meyer and Breaking Dawn. What a great conversation! It could have gone on and on, but some people had to get home to finish reading it!

Thursday was Bingo. We haven't won in years! This year, however, was our lucky year (7 times a charm?) and JoAnne won the B prize! Hooray hooray! I, personally, go for the hamburgers (yum), but winning is fun too - as is sitting next to a winner! Usually for the last game, we play blackout. This year, they changed things up, and made it so the last person to cover a square was the winner. After a night of hardly any luck (really, I had a bum card), I thought that surely, this must be my game! And what happened? Oh, I had N-34 just like half the people playing! Maybe next year... or 7 years...

Saturday was the parade. Holly had to work, so JoAnne and I started walking down the street to sit at the school to watch. Mom drove up and gave us a ride, and the three of us had a great parade. I love the parade - probably because I know half the people and have heard of the other half. It's been traditional the past few years to sit in the same place, just east of Midvale Elementary, in front of the Jordan Resource Center, on the grass in the shade. It's been the habit of the Opiekens family to sit in front of us - Pam Opiekens (new last name!) and I went to junior high together, and it's been fun seeing her family grow up - once a year at the parade!

After the parade, we headed over to the park to eat lunch and look at the booths. There was a good variety of eating options, as well as shopping. Mom got me an orange necklace to wear with my Deerfield spirit shirt, and Holly got quite a few things for not even being there!

Ryan Shupe was the headliner for the evening performance! Gotta love a Ryan Shupe & the Rubber Band concert! I love how they are different every year. You can listen to the cd and know all the songs - but live, they are so much fun! I really think they need to do a live recording on their next cd of 'Devil went Down to Georgia' - the problem is that it changes every time they perform! What could be better than 20 versions of that song on one cd?

Rain threatened to come during the concert, but we went prepared, but didn't get too wet - most of the storm during the concert went south. The fireworks were great, as always. For a local show, really, they are pretty good. The rain started pouring down about half way through the show. Good thing we still had the umbrella! (also a good thing Holly and I lived half our summer being wet!) The fireworks continued on, and, too soon, the show was over, and so was Midvale Days.

What a great tradition!